El Al Israel Airlines will discontinue its South African route and cease flights to Johannesburg in the coming weeks.
Also read: South African Airways sets date for resumption of Perth flights
El Al Air cancels Johannesburg route
The airline has announced that it will discontinue all Johannesburg flights from the end of March 2024.
Jacaranda said El Al's last flight from Tel Aviv to Johannesburg is scheduled to depart on March 27.
This long-standing service has been in operation for nearly 50 years and is a vital link between South Africa and Israel.
Also read: Another Middle Eastern airline opens South Africa flights
South Africa Important Links
The airline is the only airline operating flights between Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport and Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport.
The service is the only direct scheduled service between the two countries and is an important connection not only for the South African community living in Israel, but also for the South African Jewish community traveling from Johannesburg to Israel.
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Decrease in passenger demand
El Al Airlines has announced that it will discontinue direct flights to South Africa due to a significant drop in demand from Israeli travelers.
The cancellation of the Johannesburg flight will allow El Al to increase the frequency of its flights to other destinations.
The move will also allow airlines to consider opening flights to new destinations.
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El Al reliability
The airline has been a lifeline for many passengers needing to fly to and from Israel over the past few months.
El Al Israel Airlines has continued to operate flights to numerous destinations around the world in recent months.
Meanwhile, many other airlines have suspended flights to Israel due to the fighting that has occurred in the country since October 7 last year.
The airline said it would contact passengers whose flights were canceled. Several alternatives will be offered to affected passengers.
Also read: Johannesburg: A dangerous place for airline crew
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